FEATURED ARTICLES ABOUT WATER - PAGE 2

They call it "Cool Cape May. " And this weekend, it'll live up to its name. The Jersey shore's escape spots - like Philadelphia itself - are having a spell of blanket weather. And we don't mean beach blankets. With daytime temperatures running about 8 degrees cooler than usual for this time of year, it's time to break out the sweatshirts for mornings and evenings. "It's probably not a good weekend for swimming," Accu-Weather meteorologist Mark Tobin said yesterday, with the ocean temperature hovering around 52. The weekend will be ideal for a walk on the beach or boardwalk, though - mostly sunny, with highs around 72. There's a chance of a thunderstorm tomorrow afternoon.

WASHINGTON - After an impasse with a South Carolina senator was broken, the Senate passed a historic bill Wednesday by unanimous consent that would help thousands of sick Marine veterans and their families who were exposed to contaminated water at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C. Sens. Patty Murray, a Washington state Democrat who's the head of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, and Jim DeMint, a South Carolina Republican, brokered the deal on the Senate floor moments before she was expected to force his hand by publicly calling for a unanimous-consent vote on the measure.

Millions of gallons of water drawn from the Brandywine Creek are treated each day at the West Chester Area Municipal Authority's Ingrams Mill plant. For the fifth year, the authority opened the doors of the works for public tours in honor of National Drinking Water Week.

Unlike most people, gardeners love rain. It's no spoiler - just the opposite. Rain is life-giving. It's also welcome relief from a chore most of us dislike only slightly less than weeding: Hose-dragging is truly a drag. There are other reasons Jeff Player, Jackie Umphlet and Rachelle Aquilla try to conserve water in their gardens, in such diverse locales as South Jersey, central Montgomery County, and Philadelphia: They want to save money, and the planet. But saving water rarely hits the popular radar without a dry spell or drought.

One of the world's most unusual theater companies will debut in Philadelphia - in America, for that matter - on May 6, in a production that the whole family can enjoy. The Water Puppets of Vietnam, a folk-theater form dating from the 10th century, features handcrafted puppets that dance in a pool of water on stage, manipulated by rods hidden under the water. Drumbeats and music accompany the puppets as tales from mythology and village life unfold. The puppet show is the final production in Movement Theatre International's 1991-92 season.

Jon Sim is no stranger to water. He grew up in the industrial town of New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. Sim loves the water. Fishing, boating and now rowing. Well, maybe not so much rowing. Yesterday, as part of their annual "team building" exercise, the Flyers hit Boathouse Row and cruised the Schuylkill. "I enjoyed being on the water," Sim said. "I live all around water back home. Whenever you get on the water, it's fun. But it was a little more work than I thought. I've done dragon boat races, but not an eight-man boat.

Last weekend's Invisible River - an aerial dance/music project to be staged under and around the Strawberry Mansion Bridge by Alie Vidich & the Brigade - nearly became Invisible Dance . Though Vidich and her team had worked for eight months to secure permits through the Fairmount Park Special Events Office, the bridges division of the City Streets Department, and the state Fish and Boat Commission, no one told them they also needed to notify...

When traveling with a camera in the summer, it is important to protect it and the film from extreme temperatures and dampness. Heat is a major threat to film and equipment. Cameras should not be left inside cars parked in direct sunlight, especially not in glove compartments or auto trunks, where temperatures can reach 150 degrees. Even outdoors, leaving a camera in direct sunlight can raise its temperature to 110 degrees or more. When cameras get that hot, the lubricants can become so thin that they can run and gum up parts that aren't supposed to be lubricated.

One of the more intriguing pieces of mail I've received lately came from a man who said he has made an important discovery that he wishes to share with the world. In his letter he said: "I have written to seven or eight news people and one television network about a discovery I came upon to get rid of those household pests, cockroaches. "I guess they all think I am out of my mind, because I have not heard from any of them. "What I want to do is give my discovery to the world.

We have two dehumidifiers in the basement that put out a bucket of water each day. I use it to water flowers outside the house and the plants inside. It's a wonderful way of conserving water. Andrew Newman Huntington Valley Have suggestions on how to save water? Call 215-854-5060, and we'll print the best ones.